The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday confirmed that it has now received the contact addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of the representatives who submitted the petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.
The electoral body had previously confirmed on Tuesday that it received the petition for the recall of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, but noted that it did not meet the necessary “requirements” for the action.
INEC explained that the petitioners’ representatives had failed to provide their contact details, including addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, in the covering letter that accompanied the petition. These details are required under Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines.
However, in an update issued on Wednesday, Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, stated that the missing information had now been submitted in a letter addressed to the Commission’s Chairman, dated Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the Senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address. The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website,” the statement said.
It added that the next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the Constituency.
This, Olumekun noted, will be done in the coming days, adding that the outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission.
The Commission reassured Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent.